The report on the Downtown Streets Team Fundraiser was posted.
Reuel Brady of the Coalition of North San Rafael presented information on the Terra Linda HOA Clean Air Program which has a program to help households install electric inserts to replace wood burning fireplaces at lower prices. There is also a county rebate. More information can be found atTerraLindaHOA.com.
John Bruckhauer of the City Office of Emergency Services OES spoke at the request of the San Pedro Road Coalition. He comes from Nassau County in New York and has been with the City for about 5 months. The Disaster Preparedness Worksheet is being updated and will be posted on the City website soon. For the CERT Program, there have been 270 graduates in 30 neighborhoods. There is an effort to identify where these graduates are and create a fire department overlay to determine which areas are covered. The next CERT class to be held in San Rafael is on September 12, but it is possible to attend classes in other cities if the dates there are more convenient. Mr. Bruckhauer wants to create a list that shows which HOA’s currently reimburse residents for the cost of CERT training. He will be happy to meet with neighborhood groups and the larger groups that combine neighborhoods.
San Rafael currently does not have a FEMA approved local plan for hazard mitigation. Such a plan would make the City eligible for funds for mitigation. Work is being done on creating this plan.
Jim Schutz, Assistant City Manager, spoke about the essential facilities, giving a history of efforts to update the buildings. A quarter cent of Measure S taxes has been set aside for the essential facilities. There has been an assessment of safety and a look at combining and relocating some of the facilities as well as a rough prioritization and cost estimate. It seems best to start the most expensive work first because interest rates are low now. Nancy Mackle, City Administrator, pointed out that operational efficiencies are needed such as places to clean off gear and to handle evidence. There are plans to house the OES in a new combined police and fire station near City Hall. The project will go before the Council in July: the design and permitting process would start in the fall and take about a year; construction could start in 2017.
Paul Jensen, Community Development Director, spoke about the 10-year update for the General Plan. There is a report available on the City website. There have been changes since the General Plan was finalized such as the state stopping the redevelopment agencies and also adopting new climate change laws. A report on the update is to go to the Planning Commission in June and the Council in July.
Barbara Alexander spoke briefly about AB1421 (Laura’s Law). She said that County Supervisor Damon Connolly is on board for adopting Laura’s Law for Marin County and Supervisor Katie Rice is also generally supportive. Work is being done to convince the other Supervisors.
Nancy Mackle reminded the group of the upcoming Workshop on Homelessness to be held on June 8 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the San Rafael Community Center 681 B Street. The City Council invites the public to join the discussion and share ideas on how to reduce the number of homelessness in our community.